Video Monitors

We have an audio monitor right now and I'm considering giving it to MIL for when she's watching the boys (everyday from 1-4pm). She doesn't have one right now and the boys end up crying loudly by the time she hears them, which makes it difficult to get them back to sleep to finish their naps. I've been thinking about a video monitor, so I figure this could be a good excuse to get one. My question is can it be used with twins? I saw you can buy an extra camera- is that necessary?

 

There are double monitor video monitors. I used to have one. I was stupid and sold it after I had my third child thinking I didn't need it anymore. lol I had a Bebe Sounds Double Video monitor. I loved it. It would go back and forth between the two cameras kinda like a secruity camera. I used to cords to hook it to our tv in the bedroom so I could watch them on the tv. The screen was tiny on the actual monitor but it was really clear. It was $189 but I'm sure you can find a good deal this time a year.

 

I have the Summer Infant and I like it. It has two channels, so you can use two cameras at once, but I just position the camera to where I can see both cribs at once.

If you do use two cameras at once, it does not automatically go back and forth--you have to push a button.

 

If you buy the Bebe Double Video Monitor there is a setting for camera A, B, or A/B. A is just camera A, B is just B, and A/B it goes back and forth on it's own. Two seconds here, two there. Back and forth.

 

I have the Summer infant 2 camera set up.. LOVE LOVE LOVE it

Our bedrooms are upstairs so I can watch them while they are sleep and still be down stairs. However the older they get, the less I seem to use it especially after DS slammed the monitor on the floor one day..OOPS

 

I *JUST* ordered this!!! My gf has one and loves it. It's the Lorex LW2003 camera from Costco.com, it's on sale until Dec 13th and it comes with 2 cameras!!!! Lots of features too - like you can even take a picture of the babies sleeping or when bigger, doing something mischevious in their room!
(granted, they say the camera isn't super fantastic on it, as it's low resolution like a camera phone but hey, still neat to have)
You can also talk to baby through camera, like "go to sleep", etc.

Here's the link!

Lorex Video Camera

 

We have had the Summer Infant Best View digital camera and monitor since the boys were 3 months old and we LOOOOOVE it!! We originally just thought we could get by with one, but we loved it so much we bought another one. It really is nice not to have wait and pan around the nursery to go back and forth between cribs, plus it was handy when they napped in separate rooms when they were younger. But I found out after the fact that we didn't have to buy a whole other complete set (camera and monitor) that we could have just bought a second camera for $115-$120. However, I actually like having that extra monitor like when the boys stayed at my parents this past weekend I took one of the cameras and a monitor (because its a snap to setup), then my mom forgot to send the monitor back and just sent the camera. No problemo, we had a backup monitor. The image quality is fantastic as is the sound quality and the battery life is very good even after 15 months of constant usage.

 

I orginally thought this was a unecessary item for overprotective parents. I was soooo WRONG! It is invaluable. When my daughter started sleeping through the night it let me sleep in peace because i could check on her without getting out of bed. I have Summer Infant Best View Handheld (get the handheld). It has a setting that lets you add a camera. The twins arent due till April so we havent gotten the extra camera for their room yet. But it is well well worth every penny.

 

That's the same one we have and yes its pretty straightforward to add a second camera. At first, since we had 2 handheld monitors and 2 cameras, we were trying to use both monitors at the same time. For instance I would have a monitor with me and DH would take a monitor downstairs with him. But we kept having problems and had to call customer support. They quickly set us straight and said that given that both monitors work on the same digital frequency that they may play nice for a little while but eventually one will get kicked off the frequency. So you don't need 2 handheld units (but I do like having our extra one).

Video monitors are also great when/if you sleep train. We did a modified CIO when our boys were around 8 months old. We would wait progressively longer before going into to reassure them and leave again. But if we saw them flopping over in their crib while crying and looking really tired we knew not to go in because it would just rile them up more and that they would fall asleep shortly.